Tuesday's Question of the Day?
Directed to each and every selectmen and school committee member:
Given everything you know to date, do you support the attempt to stop the construction of the new elementary school?
(Don't worry, I don't expect an answer)
Last Night
Selectmen met last night. There seemed to be more intermissions than at a five act play. Probably not, but the "executive sessions" seem to last a heck of lot longer than intermissions.
Glade to see our newest selectman questioning the use of executive sessions.
Don't get me wrong, one can fit the topics discussed into the exceptions of the open meeting law. The requirements are such that if you are good at puzzles, it is not the hardest thing in the world to fit the pieces together. Sometimes though rather than getting the exact pieces to match there does seem to be a tendency to force a match.
Open meeting and executive sessions remain a prominent topic, both in town and in general. The local daily paper has run a number of articles/opinion pieces of a number of past months. The AG's office continues to look at and fine tune positions based on the most recent changes of the law, and there is more talk about further changes.
I have been asked about the process a bunch of times, and admittedly it is probably easier to explain why a bumble bee can in fact fly than to go through the various nuances of the law.
For what it is worth the Mass. AG Open Meeting Guide does provide a fairly good explanation of the law, and the reasons for executive session. It is as "simple" as you are going to get. If you want to know about "the process" it is worth reading.
Wind
Today's S-T has an article related to the wind turbines. A day or two ago I posted a piece on the DEP findings in Falmouth and the study done there. The state is apparently interested in doing further studies both pre-construction and post construction for those turbines up, including those in Fairhaven.
Hopefully, and I do mean hopefully, the state does in fact get involved and does the same type of study. Might not satisfy everyone, but it will put the issue to rest for most people, one way or the other.
Sun
Last night our selectmen again dealt with the still on going proposed solar farm for the dump (I know the PC term is landfill, but it was a dump as long as I can remember and remains a dump). I need to get more familiar with the whole net metering concept.
I heard reference to the electricity being used by the middle school, the potential capacity, the offset and on and on until the need to go into executive session was raised (actually it was raised before any discussion).
Anyway, still not clear how we sell, get credited, benefit from electricity used at the middle school vs, that generated by the solar panels, and the offset or sale or purchase of electricity produced by the turbines.
I have obviously missed something in this as I was under the impression that all of the electricity used by the town was less than that to be, at least potentially, generated by the turbines. So if we aren't using all that can be produced by one project, how do we sell it, get credit for it a second time from another project. Maybe it is net, net metering.
This is one project which, for the life of me, I really don't understand why it has taken as long as it has. Yes I have heard the reasons, however the reasoning is what gets me a bit worried. this one should have been up and running by now. It isn't.
There have been apparent extensions granted, and based on what has been available to the public through meetings, we may actually be seeing something happen soon. The point is why haven't we seen something sooner.
I assume everyone responsible for the decisions do in fact have a firm grasp on the net metering laws, and financial benefits.
It is going to be pretty interesting to see how all the various departments' utility cost are calculated going into the budget season next January for FY 2014.
Anyway ...
Yesterday I had brought to your attention the Memorial Day Parade to be held next Monday. Received a comment on other events for this weekend. Check out yesterday's posting and the comment for more info.
Have received a few notes from people relative to involvement in the Charter Commission Petition Drive. Remember all are welcome. This isn't about what side of the fence you are on any issue. It is about your local government. It is about making sure it is, and remains a viable and responsive mechanism to serve its people.
The yearning for green power projects and "When will they finally be up and running?" “What’s the holdup lets go?” “Why aren’t the blades turning yet?” “When will we finally get solar panels at the dump?” “Green, Green Go Green” is curious to me. It is exactly what I heard from those pushing the wind turbines years ago. Facts didn’t matter then either. It is a human inner need to feel good about ourselves. But it accomplishes little if you really look past the rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteWhat should become apparent to anyone watching closely is the realization that after all the trouble about the two 1.5 MW wind turbines, the town could end up purchasing very little power from Fairhaven Wind LLC in the near future, because there is no plan I am aware of.
Originally the CCI Energy wind turbines and the Blue Sky Power landfill projects were to be installed “behind the meter”. As a result of “net metering” they now are simply tied into the “grid” and a paper offset calculation in electrical usage bill in a town owned building is given via NSTAR and credits by the state and sale of excess power are given to private operators.
The two wind turbines would have provided much if not all of Fairhaven’s municipal electrical use at 7.43 cents per kilowatt hour. (note; exact figures of town usage and price unknown to me at this time)
Installing projects behind the meter, such as the two digester generators, fueled by methane gas, or solar panels on BPW roof are redundant, as they directly reduce the purchasing from wind turbines. (It makes sense only because your federal taxes and state energy taxes paid for them) It makes little sense to keep installing more expensive forms of green energy behind the meter projects (School PV Solar) when you already have sufficient source of power for town needs and you might actually increase town electric bill in the future. It only makes sense if your goal is simply to keep building green power, savings or not, for larger moral goals. And why is it only a goal to save the town’s electrical bill. What about we the people and our bills?
Why are all the private energy developers coming in under the umbrella of a municipal use? At least Falmouth wind turbines are benefitting the town 100%, or 0% depending on the outcome. All this makes financial sense when you are part of a municipal light and power entity, such as Hull Municipal Light and Power, Cape Light Compact, Vineyard Power or Braintree Power. The residents there ALL participate in the savings and it therefore generates fewer complaints as well.
I think it’s a shame when you subject residents to quality of life issues and then do not even buy the full generated power, but let the operator make higher profits elsewhere on the Cape, at the expense of Fairhaven abutter’s health. If NSTAR rates continue to fall because of excess power generation, someone is going to get stuck with high negotiated rates with built in yearly escalators.
Maybe individual Fairhaven residents should be able to buy into the excess power if we have to deal with noise and flicker. Bet you can’t though…
The Finance Committee should require all financial documents and what town buildings are benefiting, at what rates and who gets stuck with higher power costs. And it should be done soon. The question is does it make financial sense to benefit the taxpayers. These decisions should not be made solely on carbon footprint movements, unless you are prepared to discuss the carbon footprint in the manufacturing of mono-crystalline voltaic and the entire carbon equation, from beginning to end.
In researching the governments and private sector future estimates of electricity in the next twenty years, there appears to be an agreement that the usage/demand will increase by 35%. Will the cost of generating that increase in demand stabilize to a level less than the Towns contractual obligations. I don't know, I'm not wearing gold jewelry either, if we knew that answer why have a futures market.
ReplyDeleteThe underlying facts are that our current delivery system for electrical power is inefficient, over utilized, and too expensive for a return investment capital project. Add in the fact, and please help me with this one, that the current and future regulations limit the expansion of the national grid with siting regulations that far exceed Green technology.
At .10 cents per KW delivery fees today aren't evidence of savings, (I am assuming that I read correctly that the Town would not pay delivery fees in its purchase or contract obligations) what would the future cost be with an outdated grid system that can barely handle a hot summers days worth of electric consumption, burdened with 35% more demand.
If I am correct, this Town has a good agreement, however I wouldn't bet my house on it. Only the future can tell us.
Will Fairhaven use 35% more electricity in 20 years? I don’t know. Not necessarily. The first principle in future energy projection is always conservation first. Then, more energy conservation again. This is where the highest return is seen. Savings in usage from increased efficiency, smarter buildings along with an educated workforce are where we first spend our time in saving energy. I'm sure you are well versed in this practice.
DeleteThe grid, as you indicate is stretched, but managed. You may or may not be aware of the improvements underway in the last couple of years. A new 345kv line is being run across the Cape Cod Canal to re-feed Cape Cod with the dismantling of Sandwich Power Plant. Many power generators in New England have upgraded to 345kv breakers and can generate or disconnect at will, along with peaking generators, according to grid needs. Brayton Pt. Station is not running one of their units, because demand is down. The grid is being upgraded at every single switchyard in Massachusetts as we speak. The grid is definitely improving.
But discussing the adequacy of the grid distracts from my main point. Remember if the grid shuts off for any reason, all the solar, wind or methane energy in town shuts off within five seconds as well. Behind the meter or in front direct grid tied, doesn’t matter. That is the requirement you agree to in your interconnect agreement with NSTAR. These systems provide zero emergency backup power to the town buildings. Manual or automatic transfers systems are not used in these type systems. Hopefully that changes one day.
And grid transmission charges apply to all evenly. It’s a wash.
My point is that we have probably created most of the power we need with the two 1.5 MW wind turbines. Someone needs to determine all the town loads and apply the wind turbines net meter offset first. Then let’s see what makes sense for additional generating capacity.